Dorset Schools
Multi-events Kings Park,
Bournemouth Saturday 4th May 2002
In the Senior
Girls' category Emma James (Parkstone GS) won each of her three events and
ran out a convincing winner from team mate Helen Wilkinson and Bournemouth
College's Helen Arbuthnot. Emma set
a new county record which made up for losing her record in the Intermediate
Girls' age group. In the Intermediate
Girls' category, the new record holder is English Schools' National champion
in the javelin, Louise Watton (Lytchett Minster) who threw her favourite
implement almost twice as far as her nearest rival, and the huge score with
which she was rewarded for this feat ensured that she maintained a comfortable
advantage over Wey Valley's Carly Dean, strong in her best event, the Hurdles,
as well as in the Long Jump. Like all top-class field event specialists, Louise
proved that she can sprint as well, with a 13.6 100m clocking that was too good
for others in her category. Louise Morgan (Bryanston) performed well in all
three of her events, but found her two nationally ranked rivals just too strong.
She had the satisfaction, however, of leading her Bryanston squad to a
team victory. There
were impressive performances too in the Junior
Girls' competition where only eight points separated the top three finishers
and where there was a tie for second place between Wey Valley's Nikki Hamblin
(soon after gaining her first international cross country vest in the home
countries match) and Avonbourne's Louise Cook. Louise's strength in the Hurdles
was more tha matched by Nikki in the 800m and the middle distance specialist
edged ahead in the Long Jump only to be pegged back in the Shot.
Meanwhile, however, Parkstone Grammar's Alyssa Eggertson was quietly
amassing points in the Shot, High Jump and 100m in which she showed no real
weaknesses - the hallmark of a multi-events specialist.
She could exel in this discipline as her new county record proves.
As well as her individual win, she was part of the victorious Parkstone
Grammar team. With thirty-four
competitors in this age group, it proved once again the best supported category.
In the Minor
Girls' competition, Sophie Spiegal (St. Aldhelm's) and Catherine Lees (Lockyers)
chose the same events and were locked together throughout the afternoon with
Sophie prevailing by dint of four centimetres in the Long Jump and seventeen
centimetres in the Shot. The bronze medal went to St. Peter's Harriett Hogg
while the team competition was won by Lockyer's Middle School. There
was a tiny turn-out in the Senior Boys'
competition, but no lack of quality in the performance of the winner, James
Rayner, from Poole College who performed excellently in 100m and Long Jump and
solidly in the Javelin. His scores were good enough to establish a new county
record in this event. Surprised
medalists were Tim Colley and Stuart Bonathan of Canford. The top
scoring athlete of the day was St. Peter's Daniel Hepplewhite in the Intermediate
Boys' division. The computer almost went into melt-down as he launched the
Shot 14m21 to record the only three figure individual score of the afternoon,
and in fact the first since this event has been staged using the current format.
Like Louise Watton in the Intermediate Girls' division,
he proved that one cannot throw a long way without being able to sprint
fast as his 12.3 for the 100m proved. He
would claim that 4m85 in the Long Jump is not bad either for a Shot Putter! He
would not be wrong! A new county record was an added bonus. In almost any other
year, Richard Reeks from Carter Community College would have been a worthy
county champion, with an excellent High Jump backed up by very good Hurdling and
more than competent Javelin throwing. Here
is another athlete who has all the qualities of a talented multi-events
specialist. Luke Jenkins (St.
Peter's) just held off Edward Benham (St. Edward's) by one point to earn the
bronze medal. Canford School were the team winners. Purbeck's
Nicolas Phillips won all three of his events in the Junior Boys' category to
finish an impresive winner. Multi-events
experience at national level certainly showed in his mature performance and a
new best county score. There was a
titanic struggle behind him as Lee Biles (Thomas Hardye) held off Jonathan Boyle
(Corfe Hills) by just one point In the Minor
Boys' division, there was a win for James Gren (Baden Powell & St.
Peter's) thanks to some excellent Hurdling and High Jumping. Sandford's Abu
Abioye was a comfortable second ahead of Lytchett's Joe Astley. DSAA
Multi-events team manager, Pete Clarke, was justifiably excited by the talent on
display and it is hoped that some of those who competed will feel that they
would like to try a full Pentathlon, Heptathlon, Octathlon or Decathlon
(depending upon age). They are
asked to contact the DSAA as a matter of urgency if they would like further
information. E-mail contact details
are on the DSAA web site (www.dsaa.org.uk) |